Cincinnati



4 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model) 8. TOPMILLER.

` GUT0FF VALVE. No. 805,848. Patented sept. 28,`1884 Ti Z nest.- I ZM l @Ww 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

B. TOPMILLBR.

GUT-OPF VALVE.

Patented Sept. 23, 1884.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

B. TOPMILLER.

GUT-OFP VALVE. v 180.805.548. l Patented 88188281884.

N. PETERS. PmwLkhosmphnr, wnhingxm. nc.

,i iin-ump i STATES MTnNT Orrin-n.,

BENNABD TOPMILLER, OF rCINGNNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO SIMON OBERMAYER AND JACOB A. HEINSHEIMER, BOTH OF SAME rLAcn CUT-oFFvvALve.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,548, dated September 23,1884.

Application filed August 14, 1883.

.To aZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, BENNARD TOPMILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gin- V cinnati, county of Hamilton, State of -Ohio, have invented Vcertain new and useful vImprovements in Cut-Off Valves 'for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to thatclass of engines which have separate valves to control the adio mission and exhaust ports. A

The obj ect of thc invention is toprovide for the simultaneous opening of the admission and exhaust ports, and to provide an instantaneous cut-ofi at any point desired. Its object is also to provide for the independent movement of the laps during a portion of the stroke of the slide-valve, so that the cut-off may be controlled by the governor or regulator through expansion-gear.` i i The inventionl consists in a peculiar arrangement of laps movable independent ofthe slide-valve within the steam-chest, and peculiar arrangement for working the same to automatically cut off the admission of `steam to the cylinder at any point of the stroke, and instantaneously, whether controlled by the regulator or detached from it.

It also consists in certain peculiar details of construction, all of which will be fully under- 3o stood from the following description 'of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa longitudinal section of a steamchest and part of the cylinder, showing my improvements adapted'for use as a variable 3 5 cut-off in the ordinary steam-engine, the section being taken through lineV x `x` of Fig. 2,

Which'is a'plan view' having thetop or cap oi` the valve-box removed. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a form of expan- 40 sive gear for controlling the admission-ports by means of the l governor. This view is taken through line x x of Fig. 4, which, like Fig. 2, is afplan view of the steam-chest with its cap removed; The cut-off mechanism is seen in elevation, except the expansion-gear, which is seen in top plan, the actuating-rods being shown in transverse section.4 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal elevation of l a steam-chest and cylinder, showing-my improvements as applied to a locomotive-engine. fl Fig. 6 is aplan view taken through line t a: of Fig. 5. The

Renewed April 19, 1884. (No model.)

steam-chest cap in this view is removed. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of a steam-chest in which the laps are operated by a crank-arm on the outside through two rock-shafts which have arms inside the chest to engage the laps. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal lelevation of the device shown in Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a transverse section view taken through line x of Figs. 7 and S. i

Like parts are represented by similar referetico-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views.

In Figs. l to 4, inclusive, the slide-valve A is shown at the middle of its stroke closing all the ports, and the laps B are shown at each end of the valve A and equidistant from it, being in the position they should occupy when the vibrating lever C is perpen sliding yoke D, to theends of which the sliding rods b are connectedl These rods pass through stuffing-boxes in the ends of the steamchest E, and are secured to the sliding cutoff valves or laps B. The laps are adjustable nearer to or farther from the slide-valve in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of nuts on the screwthreaded ends of the rods Z), for the purpose of determining the point of cut-orf.

box.

The lever C is pivoted in its outer bar, and near each corner is secured a spring, G. The free ends of these springs are jointed to links c, the opposite ends of the links being jointed to the top of lever C. The `lower end of the lever is jointed to the yoke D by a pin which passes through a slot in the lower end of the arm. The yoke D slides in bearings in the frame F. The caps oi' its bearing or boxes are removed in all the views.

Before entering upon a description ofthe automatic expansion-gearing by which the admission-ports are controlled through the regulator, I will first describe the variable cutoff valves and their actuating devices when in use, as their action is the same whether the admission of steam is controlled by the governor acting upon the throttle, in the usual lWay, or direct-ly upon the laps to bring them nearer to or force them farther fromthe slidevalve A. l

It should be also understood that I have dicular to the F is a ,framerigidly secured to the valve- A2 l 305,548y

shown my improvements as applied to the common slide-valve engines without any change in the internal arrangements of valve-box, valve-seat, or ports.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, the valves A B are shown as just set or properly adjusted for use, although in use they will never assume this position. Both valves A and B are exactly at the center of their respective strokes. rlhe valveA is driven by the valverod a,in the usual manner, and the valves are set so that the cut-off will occur atabout quarter-stroke of the piston H. lThe valve A, ,moving to the left, simultaneously opens the admission-port J and exhaust-port K. When valve A reaches valve Byhall the valves move together for a short distance until the yoke D,

" whichmoves with the valves B, throws the the expansive power of steam to lever C out of the perpendicular position shown, when the springs G, pulling down upon the upper end of lever C through links c, sends the yoke Dforward with an accelerated movement, bringing the following valve B quickly against the following end of valve A, instantly closing the supply-port and allowing carry the piston H to the endof its stroke. On the return-stroke of the valve A it carries the valve B and yoke D with it against the force of springs G until the valves B assume the position shown, when the force of the` springs is taken up by the fulcrum-pins ofV lever G for an instant, until the yoke is carried past the center,` when the force of the springs is again exerted upon the yoke, and the following valve B is forced against the valve A, cutting loff the supply of the motive agent to the cylinder, as before. g

In Figs. 3 and 4, now to be described, the action of the valves is preciselythe same as just described in relation to Figs. l and 2, except that the admission of steam to the cylinder is controlled by expanding or contracting the valves B by the governor, while in Figs. l and 2 the admission of steam to the steamchest is controlled by the governor acting upon the throttle, while the position of the kvalves B B, after being set, remains un changed with relation to valve A. It will then only be necessary, in connection with Figs. 3 and 4, to describe the devices which, actuated automatically by the "governor, vary the relation of the valves A and B B to each other, according to the pressure of steam carried 4or the duty required of the engine.

The valve-rods b terminate at their outer ends in slotted plates, which slide through slots in the ends of yoke D. The ends of yoke D have also vertical slots, which register with the sides of the slots in rods b,- but these slots are shorter than the slots in the valve-rods,

. from the-ends of rods I.

being just long enough to receive the diagonally-slotted slides I, which. are suspended These rods are jointed to the ends of a bar, L, the whole forming a suspended yoke, which is connected in any suitable mannerv to the governor mechanism, so as to be elevated and depressed by it. The slots in the rods b are crossed by sion of steam to the cylinder is thus automatil cally controlled by the governor.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown my invention as applied to locomotive-engines. In this case the yoke D is divided, and its opposite ends are but continuations of the valve-rods b. The adjacent ends of theyoke D have pins d projecting from them, which pass through slots in the bar D2, the rounded ends of which pass through perforated lugs d on the yoke D. The bar D2, it is apparent, is but a part of the yoke D, its office being to permit the expansion or contraction of the yokes, and consequently of the valves B B. The yoke D and valves B B are expanded or contracted by means of a yoke, I?, which slides vertically through a slot in the bar D2. The arms of the yoke I2 are diagonally slotted, and the pins d, which are secured in the ends of the yoke, pass through these slots. rIhe sliding yoke I2 is controlled by a hand-lever, M, through rod m, bell-crank m', and link m2, thelever being in a convenient position to be handled by the engineer. The expansible yoke D is actuated by the lever C and its springs to cutoff precisely as previously described. In these two iigures (5 and 6) the yoke I2 is shown forced down, and the valves B closed against the valve A. The steam is thus completely cut off from the cylinder. The valves B are expanded to the desired extent by vmoving the lever M and locking it in the ratchet-quadrant m3.

In Figs. 7, 8and 9 the laps are moved by rock-shafts N, which pass transversely across the valve-box. The arms n, which are secured to the shaft N inside the valve-box by setscrews, enter depressions in the tops of the valves B. The arms n', which are secured upon the shafts N outside the valve-box, are actuated by the lever C acting upon a bar, D3. This bar is also slotted through the edge and side. The diagonally-slotted yoke I2 passes through vertical slot in the bar D3. The pins `n2 of arms n pass through vside slotsin bar D3 and the diagonal slots in the yoke I2. The valves B are expanded or contracted by elevating-or depressing the yoke I2, which may be controlled either automatically by the governor or by the engineer, as described in Figs. 5 and 6.

The valve, Af,which I have shown is the ordinary D-valve with its laps removed and its stroke of course correspondingly diminished, and I have so shown it, as before stated,vb'e cause I expect to apply my improvements to engines now in use, which can be done at small expense and without changing the valve-seat IOO or cylinder; but when constructing new engines embodying my invention the stroke of the valve A may be still further shortened and friction diminished,as the valve-seats between the ports J K may be contracted to fully onehalf the size ordinarily used with valves having laps. It is evident that the various forms of expansion-gear may be used in connection With my cut-off valves, and that the laps B B may be operated to advantage by a rod actuated by an eccentric or link motion controlled by the governor.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a steam-chest,a valve to open the steam-ports, operated directly by the eccentric rod, and independent cut oft' valves at each end of said main valve, and yoked together with suitable mechanism, to

alternately close said cut-off valves against the opposite ends of the center valve,substantially as specified. Y

2. The combination ofthe steam-chest, valves A B B and yoke D with spring-actuatedlel ver C, to suddenly close lthe cut-oft' valves B against the following end of valve A when the lever is thrown from its center by the yoke D.

3. The combination, substantially as specified, of the steanichest,valves A and B, yoke D, and screw-threaded rods b, the said rods passing through the ends of the yoke, and having nuts upon each side to expand or contract the valves B to regulate the cut-off.

4:. The steam-chest, the valve A,actuated by rod a, the valves B B, connected by yoke D,

and rods b, in combination with frame F, lever C, links c, and springs G, to operate the said valves'B during part of their stroke independent ofvalve A.

5. The combination of a steam-chest, a slidevalve intermediate two cutoff valves which are yoked together outside of the steam-chest and actuated by mechanism independent of the main valve, with mechanism, such as shown, actuated by the regulator, to automativof their stroke independent of the main valve,

in combination with the yoke connecting said valves, and a ,vertically-sliding yoke having diagonallyslotted slides I, to engage pins upon the rods of the cut-off valves, said yoke being controlled by the governor or engineer, as shown and described.

BENNARD TOPMILLER.

Vitnesses:

Gno. D4 SPIELMAN, Gno. J. MURRAY. 

